Harvester.



B. HOLT.

HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED 1320.22, lune.

954,394, Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

.4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W/; jizz/M2217 van Zwin 72022;

jaar l @Jay B. HOLT.

HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 22, 1908.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2 [521x622 Zar:

B. HOLT.

HARVESTER.

APPLIUATION FILED 1150.22, 190s.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

' B. HOLT.

HARVESTER.

APPLIOATIOH FILED 1:30.22, 190s.

954,394. Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN HOLT, 0F STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

HARVESTER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application tiled December 22, 190B.

To all who-m it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN HoLT, citizen of the United States, residing at Stockton, in the county of San Joaquin and State of California, have invented new and'useful Improvements in Harvesters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to harvesters and partlcularly to grain harvesters in which a threshing, separating and cleaning apparatus, has flexibly connected with it a sickle or cutting mechanism, and means to deliver the cut Straw and grain to the thresher, the whole being mounted upon wheels and ca able of being pro elled about a field, aiidpto com lete its wor t while traveling.

L* y'invention consists in anovel means of mounting and connecting the separator and header mechanisms, in combinations of parts, and in details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- F lgure 1 is a plan, with housing removed. Fig. 2 is an end view of the header frame, showing the bearine wheels. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the heaer side of the thresher. Fig. et is a detail section on line .i2- ai Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the machine. Fig. G is a :detail of the header frame wheeldrive. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the speed-changing pulley. Fig. 8 is ay side elevation of the traction platform. Fig. 9 is a perspective showing the traction sprocket. and chain. Fig. 10 is a cross section of the traction chain and journal-rollers. Fig.*11

.is a detail of the. cushion-drive.

It is well known that harvesting machines combined with thresliin mechanism will satisfactorily perform their several functions so long as the body of the thresher i'emains approximately horizontal.

My present invention is an improvement iii-such a iparatus, in which a single line of support or the separator is empoyed, and incl-indes an extended bearing surface withontiincrcasing the?, height ofthe machine above the ground. `,and a superior application of tractionaliforce.

It also includes improvements in steerinr, and other devices which will be more fully set forth in the following specification.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the

machine embodies the usualniain-fraine Q, l gear-teeth 36-37 cut on the wheel 38, fast:V

Patented Apr. 5, 1910. Serial No. 468,732.

the header-frame 3, diaper-frame 4, draper 5, adapted to convey the eut grain into the feed-house 6, and the ordinary sickle 7. Turnably supported in frames projecting forward of the feed-house` are two steeringwheels 8 which are suitably connected, so as to be swung around in unison in the bearing rings 10, by links 9 ivoted upon the braces 11 of the wheels. ne of the wheels 8 has gear-teeth 12 cut on itsturii-table 13, these teeth heilig engageable with a pinion 14 se- 'cured to the lower end of a shaft 15, inanually operated and a hand-wheel 16 to turn the wheels 8 thus altering and guiding the direction of travel of the machine. The provision of a plurality of these steering-wheels not only aids in turning the machine, but prevents the up and down pitching of the separator as it runs over furrows or small hummocks, this beine well illustrated by the ostion of the wheels S with relation to the otted line a-a Fig. 3, and graphically demonstrates that if only one wheel weie used the front of the machine would dip the full depth of the hollow between the ridges, whereas by using two wheels, one or the other is practically always on the upper surface of a ridge. Obviously, both wheels 8 will contact when the "round is level.

W liile the machine 1s perfectly adaptable to be propelled by horse or other power, a motor 17 is mounted just in front of the feed-house, and its shaft 18 projects from the side sutiiciently to carry a gear 19, meshing with another gear .20 coupled by a reversing clutch 21, to a countersliaft Q2; and also carrying the usual moi'nentum-whecl connected by belt 25 to drive shaft 2T upon which the cylinder Q8 is secured. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the shaft 27 extends through the right side of the housing, and has secured on its end a spur gear S29, driving through intermediate car 30, a ear 31 secured u on `the cross-shaft 32 an by which all of tie separator, cleaner, re-cleaner and couveyer mechanisms, are o erated.

Again referring to the p an View, 1t will be noticed that. the eountershaft 2Q, extend ing along the left side of the housing. has splined upon .it bevel-pinions 33 each adapted to be slid, by suitable levers 34 and collars 35, into and out of engagement with to vary the s eed of the shaft 39, without reference to t e engine 17, and when necessary, the direction of rotation of the shaft i 22 and its correlated members may be either reversed, by the clutch 21, or disconnected from the engine.

It is upon the traction means of this machine, with r rd to its location, construction and driving means, that I wish to lay especial stress and claim: the device comprisin a series of links 40 pivotally connecte in train and forming chains 41, transversely united by the ivots 42, upon which are loose rollers 43 des Fi 9 and 10). Bolted across the para lel an adjacent links 40 are removable plate-shoes 44 of any desirable width, length and thickness, and which may have, secured on the exposed surface grouser-like attachments 45 of any suita le shape. These combined parallel chains and shoes form what might be termed a platform 45 adapted to support the load of the vehicle, and to be given a cir. cuitous travel by a driven sprocket 46 around a suitably spaced direction pulle 47, and a series of supporting rollers 4 journaled upon side beams 49 secured beneath the sllls 2. The sprocket-wheel 46 is fastened upon a shaft 50, rotatable in boxes 51 bolted upon the beams' 49, the shaft 50 being driven by suitable connections with the above mentioned shaft 39. These connections consist in the resent case of s rocket-wheels 51 fast on s aft 39, by whic power is transmitted through chains 52 to sprocket-wheels 53, loose on the shaft 50.

For the purpose of relieving the propelling mechanism of undue strains an jolts, lugs 54 pro'ect sidewise from the s rockets 53, and sli ably mounted in each u is a pin 55 having a head 56 between whic and the lug is a heavy sprin 57 surrounding the pin. The rotation o the sprocket 53 causes the pin-heads 56 to engage complementary d 58 formed upon the sides of a disk 59 rigidly fastened on the shaft 50. Since each s rocket 53 is in this manner yieldingly eii'gctive to turn the shaft 50, it 1s obvious that the heavy vibrations and strains are absorbed by the cushionlike will yield until drive and that when,` for any cause, the tension becomes articularly severe on one or the other of t chains 52, the springs 57 s strain is equalized by the Otl'iiichainta i db e grea a van age game y usm a traveling traction member of latform-ke structure is self-evident, and rief stated is mainly due to the benefit derive by the much larger area of ground contact which rollers 4 the central three beingrv disposed 1n one plane, and the end rol rs slightly higher, so that the platform 45 is graduall directed from the straight line b--b, whic forms the main bearin contact, oil toward the sprocket 46 and pu ley 47.

The header-frame 3 of the usual trian-i gular shape, is pivoted at its inner side, to the thresher frame by pins 60. Preferably these pins are inserted in the cross ties 61 and near the inside sill 2, which is separated at 62 to permit the arm 63 of the header frame 3 to lay; the sill being united above and below y straps 64. The outer end of the header-frame is supported upon a bearin -wheel 65, having secured to its inner si e an internal ear 66, meshing with a inion 67 carri by shaft 68, which is riven by a exible drivin means from the shaft 39, at the rear en of the thresher housing.

It is of importance, in a machine of this class, to have the header wheel positively driven, especially when a heavy grain is being harvested upon hillsides. It not infrequently happens when a heavy load is accumulated upon the dra er, that much difficulty is experienced in eeping the machine headed straight, and th1s is particularly true when operating over rolling ground.

The shaft 68, seen in Fig. 1, is properly journaled u on the frame 3, and rovided with a frict1on clutch 69, operable rom any desirable position on the thresher; the inner end of the shaft 68 having secured to it a V-faced pulley 70 driven by a belt 71 from an adjustable,y V-pulley 72 carried by the shaft 39. The object of providing the adjustable pulley 72 is to enable the o erator to vary the s eed of the bearing-w eel 65 when the mac 'ne is making a turn, with the wheel 65 outside. The clutch 69 ermits the wheel to be uncoupled from t e drivin shaft 68 when the machine is to be turne using1 the wheel 65 as a pivot, and the thres er being propelled around upon its traction platform 45.

Any suitable means may be utilized for varying the speed of the shaft 68 and whereby it may be iiexibly connected to a driving shaft. The pulley 72 suplies a simple means of accomplishing this, y separating the slidable member 3 from its coordinate section 72 (see Figs. 67,-7) whlch allows the belt 71 to assume an arc of smaller radius on the V-shaped periphery of the pulle)v 72. resultino' in a decrease in the speed of travel of heft 71 and rotation of pulley TO.

For the urpose of actuating the slidahle, splined pu ley-section T3 upon its shaft 39, i a small gear 7-1 is threaded to turn upon a. i fine tln'ead screw 75 turned on shaft 39. i t gear T6, secured upon a spindle T7. meshes with the pinion 7l, and when the spindle TT is held against. rotation by the engagement of its brake-wheel TS, with a ixed shoe 79 on the thresher sill 2. the gear 76 locks pinion 'T4 against turning. and the continued forward revolution of shaft 39 causes the pinion to advance along the screw 75 (here shown as left-hand) thereby forcing the section T3 to vard the keyed pulley T2 expanding the helt 'lto a larger peripheral seat in the V groove between the pulley sections. t and increasing the speed of the belt and the driven pulley T0.

'hen the operator wishes to deerea-e the speed of wheel G5. he grasps lever S0 h v which the brake-wheel TS n1av be made to contact with another wheel Si secured on shaft 39. These wheels TS-S1 may he of the same diameter. which would thus cause i the spindle TT to have a speed equal to that of shaft Sil. Xow the gear Tt which is secured on spindle TT is preferahlv much larger than pinion 7l. consequently this will he rotated vfaster than the shaft 39. upon which it is screwed, and is therefore unserewed from engagement with pulle)Y sec tions T3 allowing this to slide awav from section T2 and enlarge the V-groove where` upon the belt Tl will he permitted to come' closer to the center of pulle)v Ti. resulting in a reduction of speed of the belt. Obvioust)v the means connecting the shaft G8 to i the driving shaft on the tln'esher-hodv. must be sutiicientllv tlexihle to permit the header frame il. and shaft Vt) to freel v tilt upon its pivots U0. ll'hen the lever S() is lshifted to a. central position. the brake-wheel T8 hecomes disengaged from the driving-wheel S1 and the shoe T9. and remains in a neutral position until again shifted h v the operator. 'hile the wheel TS is in this neutral position. the gears Tlf-TV heing in mesh constantly. continue to revolve` without affecting the relation of pullt) sections HATS. and it is onl v when the actuator wheel TS is thrown into engagement with either shoe T9 or wheel S1 that the gear To has an operative etl'eet upon pinion T4.

.\ tension idler S2 is shown in Fig. T. ef-

fective to take up slack in helt T1 during the tilting of the hetuler-frame 3.

ln Fig. l a chain S3 is illustrated as heing l driven h v a sprocket Rt. on shaft lli. and leading over another sprocket Si. on .shaft Sti mounted upon the heiuler-frame. IL From i this shaft suitable connections are made to the. draper and cutter driving shaft S7. The sprocket St is secured to a. sleeve 8S (Fig. G) which also carries another sprocket St), from which a ohain El() runs over a driving sprocket 91 fast on the cross-shaft 32. Then the machine is working down-hill. the chain 90 is linked in place. and the sleeve SS uncoupled from shaft 39 by any simple clutch, such for instance as 92. splined upon the shaft and actuated by the lever 923 (Fig. (il. ln this wav the energy1 developed hy the maehine`s momentum is utilized to operate the header, draper and cutters, and threshing mechanism, thus measurably unloading the engine 1T. which nia1 he unconpled h v clutch 21 on shaft '22. ln ordinarv work upon nearly level or tip-hill ground.y power is transmitted from the engine through shafts 2Q and 39 and intermediate gears to directly drive the header meehanisni. but it' a sutiicient down grade is encountered. the sleeve SS is thrown out of action. and the chain 90 which is convenientl \v located. is placed upon its sprockets. rl`he power is thus transmitted from the traveling platform to the shaft Btl thence. through the chain J0 to the header actuating mechanism. As soon as the harvester is again working on level ground. the chain 90 is removed. the sleeve SS again coupled h v clutch ft2 to shaft 39. and the engine again coupled at clutch 21.

Any suitable. practical device may he eniploved for connecting the header-frame 3 to the thresher hodv. so that it ma)v he raised or lowered and locked: and in Figs. l. 2l. l have shown rack hars U5 pivoted at Slt'. to the frame 3. and the upper endsl engaging pinions 9T. fastened to a horizontal shaft 9S. journaled upon projecting hraekets Slt). The shaft 9S has secured to it a wormlwheel 100. meshing with a worm or screw ltll. which is adapted to he turned in either direction l'i'v a gear-set 10;. actuated h v a sprocket land chain connection 103, with the cross Shaft 3Q.

ln Figs. fl-s'i are illustrated colters 10i disposed upon the frame on each side. and just in advance ot' the forward end of the traction platform 45; the purpose of these eolters heilig to make a preliminar \v eut. when the machine is working on a hillside. and throw some earth down in such a manner that the following platform will have a more or less horizontal path in which to run, since the colter on the uphill side will cut a small furrow approximately in line with the edge of the platform as shown in Fig. 5.

Beneath that portion of the main frame adjacent to the feed-house t. is secured n semi-cylindrical metallic receptacle 10T, in which ma)v be carried supplies, such as oil. gasolene, water, in separate compartments.

But particularly this structure forms a rigid brace between the longitudinal members of the sill frame, reatly strengthening the machine as a who e and dispensing with the usual braces required, and is much lighter.

Usually machines of this character are so broad when the header frame is in extended position, that it is necessary to disconnect the header when the machine is to be moved from place to place over country roads. I have provided means whereby the frame 3 may be shortened without requiring to be dismounted from its pivots. This means comprises erforated lates 105 (Fi s. 1 6) securedto t e outer rails of the hea er frame 3, and removably fastened to the short frame 106 by bolts 107. Preferably the bearing-wheel is then removed from the frame 3, and mounted upon frame 106, which it will support.

Some sections of the country are subject to heavy rains, and in many instances the soil is soft, light and deep, and there is a strong tendency of the Water to form gullies and washes in the soil.. This is especially true as regards hillsides, and the provision of a machine embodying constructive features and relation of parts to overcome such difficulties with advantageous results, 1s lmportant.

I have shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a plurality of auxiliary bearing-wheels 110 suitably Vmounted proximate the outer end of the header-frame 3; the purpose of these bearing wheels being to prevent the headerframe from constantly having an undulating motion when the ground is much furrowed or ullied. It will be noticed in Fi 2 particu arly that these wheels 110 wil normally travel upon the summits of the furrows in the soil, and prevent the main wheel 65 from descendin into the bottom of each of the gullies as t e machine is advanced. This 1s an im ortant feature as it assists in relieving the eader-frame from severe strains due to the ditching of the bearing-wheel 65. Obviously, the auxiliary wheels 110 being mounted so that the bottom faces are slightly above the bottom plane of the wheel 65, these Wheels will be idle when the harvester is being run over approximately smooth round.

Having thus descri ed my invention,what I claim and desire Vto secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A combined header and separator the header bein hinged to the separator, said machine inciding an endless narrow flexible traveling su port beneath the separator, and an indepen ent support for the header.

2. A combined header and separator the header being hinged to the separator, said machine including an endless flexible traveling support beneath the separator and means carried by the header to maintain the separator vertical.

3. A combined header and separator the header bein hinged to the separator, said machine inc uding a main frame, a motor thereon, an endless, flexible and traveling support beneath the separator, mechanism by which power is transmitted from the motor to said endless support, and a. su porting wheel carried at the outer end of t e header.

4. A combined header and separator, the header being hin ed to the separator, a motor, an endless, exible support beneath the separator, driving connections between the motor and the endless support, a plurality of steering wheels arranged in the line of travel of the flexible support, and means whereby said wheels may be turned in unison about vertical axes.

5. A combined header and separator the header bein hinged to the se arator, said machine inciding an endless, exible, travcling member located beneath the separator, longitudinally alined steering wheels at the front of the machine, connections by which said wheels may be turned in unison, and a bearing member at the outer end of the header.

6. A combined header and separator, the header bein hinged to the separator, said machine inc uding a main frame, a driving shaft thereon, means for operatin said shaft, a longitudinally disposed exible traveling support beneath the separator, a support for the outer end of the header,

`means including a driven shaft for positively driving said header support, and a flexible connection between the driving shaft on the main frame and the shaft which operates the header su port.

7. A combinedhea er and separator, the header being hinged to the separator, said machine including a driven supporting wheel at the outer end of the header, and supplemental bearin wheels arranged tandem with one on eac side of the axls of the first-named wheel, conti lous to and in a plane parallel to the p ane of said firstnamed wheel.

8. A combined header and separator, the header being hinged to the separator, said machine inclilding an endless, flexible traveling support located beneath the separator, a support for the outer end of the header, a main frame, a motor thereon, means for transmitting power from the motor to the endless traveling support, concentric bevel cars and co-acting pinionsnand means to mdependently engage the pinlons with thelr ears.

9. A combined header and separator, the header bein hinged to the separator2 said machine inc uding asingle, longxtudmally disposed, flexible, endless traction member located beneath the separator, a wheel support for the outer end of the header, mechanism through which motion is transmitted to said support and traction member, and mechanism by which the speed of the wheel support of the header may be varied.

10. -t combined header and separator the header being hinged to the separator, said machine including an endless flexible supporting traction member beneath the sepaator, a motor on the machine, means for transmitting power from the motor to said traction member. a counter-shaft, connections therefrom to operate the header and separator, and sprocket wheels and chain to transmit power from the endless supporting traction member to .said counter-shaft.

11. A combined header and separator the header being hinged to the separator, said machine including an endless. narrow. flexible traveling traction member beneath the separator, a motor. a .steering mechanism, a shaft, a sprocket wheel secured on said shaft and engageable with said traction member, contact. members secured on said shaft. loosely mounted driven members mounted on the shaft. and resilient means carried by said driven members whereby the contact members are driven.

12. )t combined header and separator the header beiner hinged to the separator, said machine incuding an endless. narrow, flexible traveling supporting member lo -ated beneath the separator, a wheel for supporting the outer end of the header, means for transmitting power from the first-named supporting member to the header and separator, and means to yieldingly transmit power from said endless supporting member, said means including contact lugs and interposed springs.

13. A combined header and separator thc header being hinged to the separator. said machine including a single. longitudinally disposed. endless. flexible traveling1 member located beneath the separator and forming a traction support. said header having a bearing wheel at the outer end. and means to drive said bearing wheel. i

14. A combined header and separator the header being hinged to the separator. said machine including a single, longitudinally disposed. flexible traveling member located beneath the separator, a bearing wheel upon which the outer end of the header is supported. means to propel said wheel and means to change the rate of speed.

15. )t combined header and separator the header being hinged to the separator, said machine including an endless, narrow, flexible traveling support beneath the separator, a bearing wheel upon which the outer end of the header is carried, means for connecting the header and separator whereby the two may be adjusted with relation to each other and locked, and driving means whereby power may be transmitted from the endless traveling support to drive the header bearing wheel.

1G. A combined header and separator the header being hinged to the `separator, said machine including an endless. narrow flexible traveling support beneath the separator, a bearing wheel upon which the outer end of the header frame is supl'iorted. mechanism whcreb)v the relative angle of the separator and header may be adjusted. said mechanism comprising racks connecting with the header frame, a worm gnu'. pinions engaging the racks. and means by which the worm-gear may be rotated to maintain its engagement as the angle of the header and separator vary.

1T. A combined header and separator the header being hinged to the separator, said machine including a single, longitudinal, traveling tlexible. bearing member located beneath the separator. a bearing wheel upon which the outer end ot the header is supported. means by which power is transmitted to drive said bearing wheel, means by which the speed of said wheel may be varied, said means including a variable driving mechanism, and a clutch by which a driving means may be engaged or disengaged from said wheel.

1S. -t combined header and separator the. header being hinged to the separator. said machine including a single, longitudinal, tlexible traveling bearing member located beneath the separator, a motor carried on the separator, a bearing wheel for the outer end of the header, means by which power is transmitted from the motor to drive the endless traveling bearing member, means for transmitting power to drive the header supporting wheel. means by which the speed 11nparted to said supportmg wheel mayv be changed, said last-named means including a drive shaft. concentrhI gears, pinions mounted upon said shaft adapted to engage with each of said gears. and means by which one of said pinions is disengaged when the other is thrown into engagement.

1U. combined header and separator the header being hinged to the separator, .said machine including a single, longitudinal, flexible traveling vbearing member located beneath the separator. a motor carried on the separator, means for adpisting the header relatively to the separator to mam tain the separator approximately level, and

earth-cutting devices carried in front' of the ble traveling support located beneath the ,my hand in presence of two subscribing witseparatgr ad. formingda. traction mnJer, nesses. means or rlvlng sal sup ort, a, o ow T trouh-shaped structure exteglding between BEBJAMIN HOLT' 5 and mvinv its edges secured to the separator Witnesses:

frame, an a sup lemental hinged frame. GEO. H. STRONG,

In testimony W ereof I have hereunto set DAN K. GILMORE. 

